Health plan premiums found higher in the Northeast

There's a reason why health plan premiums are higher in the Northeast than elsewhere in the country: We're more generous here.

According to a survey by United Benefit Advisors, an alliance of the independent benefit advisory firms across the country, employers in the Northeast offer a far higher percentage of health maintenance organizations and point-of-service plans, which typically have richer level of benefits, than any other region of the country.

In addition, although 16 percent of all PPO plans have no deductible required, a whopping 60 percent of all such plans are in the Northeast region, the survey showed.

The result is health plan premiums are 11 percent higher here than the national average, according to the report.

United Benefit Advisors surveyed more than 12,000 health plans sponsored by 8,700 employers nationwide to create benchmark statistics on health plan factors such as costs, enrollment and benefits.